The long-awaited, now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t redevelopment of Sunnyvale Town Center is underway. And, making a clean break with the project’s troubled past, it even has a new name: CityLine Sunnyvale.

The developers express confidence that the $100 million, 36-acre project — crucial to existing businesses in the immediate area and important to the city of Sunnyvale as a whole — will be completed, this time, with no more surprises.

Of course, the previous developer repeatedly said the same, yet the project failed. That’s why the new developer, a well-financed consortium called STC Venture, understands the skepticism of business owners who learned the hard way that confidence and ironclad guarantees are two very different things.

This time, at the very least, STC vows not to leave the members of the Sunnyvale Downtown Association in the dark.

“We plan to be completely open, even to the point of being overly communicative, if that’s possible,” says Josh Rupert, the project manager in charge of the nonresidential parts of the plan.

STC is a joint venture of Hunter Storm, Sares Regis Group of Northern California and a set of institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Devcon Construction is the general contractor. Last year, the joint venture closed on a $100 million escrow, making it much stronger financially, backers say, than the previous developer’s.

Building and improving on historic Murphy Avenue​How bad was the dismay of the city and downtown merchants when the original developer ran out of money for the Sunnyvale Town Center project and went belly up amid the Great Recession, after the housing market crashed and credit markets dried up?

The lawsuits and resulting years-long delays that followed offer one big hint. But it was also bad enough that the project’s old name, Sunnyvale Town Center, has been unceremoniously jettisoned and the project rebranded as CityLine Sunnyvale.

Dropping the sleepy word “town,” the new name evokes an image more in keeping with today’s fashionable urban lifestyle, reflecting the vision of a vibrant, walk-able, transit-connected neighborhood of fun, food, work and city-style living.Yet, more important to the existing businesses, the plans aim to preserve the historic nature of the area including and surrounding South Murphy Avenue.

“The idea is to expand and improve on what we have now, not start from scratch and lose the restaurant-and-entertainment culture that has taken root,” says Mike Johnson, executive director of the 12-year-old Sunnyvale Downtown Association, which by law represents the interests of the nearly 200 businesses in the area.

Many existing businesses — about three-quarters of them restaurants and bars — fear getting lost and forgotten amid the arrival of new businesses coming downtown, and can’t quite shake their skepticism.

Derek Gruell, owner of Irish pub Lilly Mac’s since 2015, is one such man. “Developers love to talk about integration and harmony, but in my experience with other communities in this situation, the existing businesses more often than not end up fighting an uphill battle because what’s coming will be seen as new and exciting,” he said.

While Gruell says Johnson has been doing a “great job” advocating for the existing merchants, “we’re going to have to band together and make sure we’re not being taken advantage of.”

If you build it, they will come​As the founding director of the business association, Johnson left the position a decade ago thinking the redevelopment was on track. Now that he’s back, he’s eager to see it come to fruition and will work to ensure everybody comes out ahead as a result of bringing new blood to the area.

Although the idea of redeveloping downtown Sunnyvale has been mostly talk for more than a decade, construction has been going on for months, mostly behind the scenes.

The most noticeable progress so far has been the demolition and removal of the two steel structures east of Macy’s, the unsightly remnants of the old redevelopment plan.

More recently, workers have been erecting scaffolding on the exterior of the residential buildings extending along Washington and McKinley avenues. These were built under the previous developer, but the interiors were never finished. Now those are currently under construction, and soon more visible work will begin on the facades.

More disruptive work is also in the offing. The current jog in Murphy Avenue where it intersects with East Washington Avenue will be straightened out, and Murphy will instead extend straight across to run through what’s now the Macy’s parking lot to connect at the far end with McKinley Avenue.

The development along that extension is intended to be of a compatible character with the existing historic area, says Dave Hopkins, senior vice president with Sares Regis Group of Northern California.

The landscaping on the existing part of Murphy will be largely undisturbed, including the trees that add so much character to the place. New medians and traffic signals will be installed at the intersection, and the new part of Murphy will be lined with trees. That’s all part of $20 million in public improvements.

Project co-manager Rupert says that work should be completed by the end of 2017, while the rest of the development should be completed in phases through June 2019.

When the first phase is done, there will be about 200 new housing units with “green” design features and within easy walking distance of the Caltrain stop at the north end of downtown. New retail establishments comprising about 85,000 square feet will anchor the bottom floors of those buildings.

In addition, at the new southern extension of Murphy Avenue, a Whole Foods Market and a 1,200-seat movie theater, will be completed, along with additional parking. Redwood Square Plaza, long closed, will reopen as a park, though it will be developed later.

STC Venture, added Hopkins, feels comfortable with the financing of CityLine Sunnyvale and has every reason to want the project to succeed this time.“We’ve put together a conservative financial structure to mitigate the risk of any impacts that market changes might cause,” he said. “We’ve closed escrow and purchased every square foot in an all-cash acquisition.”Project manager Rupert says the developers are proud of what CityLine Sunnyvale will become.“We know that people had come along before us and made promises,” he says. “We’re here to take what has been done and finish it. We recognize that this is super-important to Sunnyvale, and we’re excited to be part of it.”

Whether it’s delighting in the heady improvisation of urban jazz or just getting down to rock or R&B, just about any fan should find something to feed the musical soul at this summer’s free concerts in downtown Sunnyvale.

Once again, the Sunnyvale Downtown Association and its partners proudly present two weekly series of outdoor shows on historic South Murphy Avenue: the Summer Series and Market each Wednesday evening beginning June 21, and Jazz and Beyond every Saturday evening beginning July 8.

In either case, families, friends and friends-to-be can feast together on all manner of culinary options from the dizzying array of restaurants and bars in the immediate area.

Yet the two series offer two very different experiences.

Summer Series and Market

Think of the Wednesday evening Summer Series and Market, which runs weekly from June 21 to Aug. 30, as chance to unwind after work. Meet friends and family for a meal and a drink at your favorite restaurant in the area, if you like, then come outside and boogie away to the music until dark.

This will be the Summer Series’ 19th year of Wednesday night partying to local rock, soul, Latin and R&B acts, depending on the week. Murphy Avenue is closed each night for the event and for the closing June 30 concert will be at the nearby Plaza del Sol!

Jazz and Beyond

On Saturday nights, downtown Sunnyvale goes a little more uptown. The eighth consecutive year of the Jazz and Beyond series, which runs from July 8 to Aug. 26, presents somewhat more sophisticated musical acts to the Murphy Avenue stage.

Whether it’s the straight-ahead jazz of Mason Razavi, sometime-Santana singer Tony Lindsey, the sultry vocal stylings of Jessica Johnson or the ambitious urban jazz of Times 4, it’s all great music from bands that regularly gig at the Bay Area’s hottest jazz venues.

But what makes Jazz and Beyond stand out even more is the food setup. There aren’t many other cities with an area as densely packed with restaurants and bars. This allows for an opportunity for Jazz and Beyond attendees to sit at a table and order items, including beer, wine by the glass or bottle and dessert, from almost 20 participating establishments. Mix and match to your heart’s delight. It’s like going to 20 restaurants at once. Restaurant staff will deliver orders right to the table, where patrons will call in orders from a common menu and pay with a card without ever having to miss a tune.

“Jazz and Beyond is an intimate, very personal event,” says Sunnyvale Downtown Association Executive Director Michael Johnson “We create a unique ambiance. There’s nothing like it anywhere in the area.”

Oh, speaking of paying: Both series are easy on your wallet. Park for free in several places around town including Plaza de Sol. And, again, there’s no admission charge to the music area. There’s not even any need to buy food or drink if you don’t wish to – just come and enjoy the music and community.

Check out the Line-up of Summer Music Events!

​What’s newThe musical acts always vary a little from year to year. But what is different is the man behind the plan: Mike Johnson, who returned to run the Sunnyvale Downtown Association earlier this year after a decade-long hiatus during which the association was ably run by Joel Wyrick.Mike’s glad to be back to represent the interests of the existing downtown businesses as the area finally appears ready to launch downtown’s massive overhaul. When he left as director a decade ago, those plans were just expected to begin taking off. But when the economy tanked, those plans fell apart.With a new developer in place and financing seemingly secure, there are major changes ahead.But Mike says the annual summer concerts are not going anywhere. In fact, he hints that the series might even be expanding next year.“I’m excited to be back to continue to deliver great events, and bring more visibility to downtown in an atmosphere of enjoyment,” he says.Music and food to fill the soul and body, all for free, plus the opportunity to share it all with the Sunnyvale Downtown community. Let’s get this summer started!

“No other city does this, or even something like this. It’s a totally unique dining experience. Actually, there are no other cities that I know of that could even pull something like this off.”​Executive Director of the Sunnyvale Downtown Association, Joel Wyrik, is talking about the return of the popular Jazz & Beyond Series, now back for its seventh year. Every Saturday, 5:30-8:30, from July 9 through August 27, South Murphy Street is closed, a stage and tables are set up, and diners can enjoy jazz while ordering food from 20+ nearby restaurants. The delightfully special appeal of this is that it is an actual sit-down, dining experience where everyone in your party can order what they want from any of the restaurants.

Order What You Want, From Where You WantIn the mood for a Middle Eastern appetizer, a Chinese entrée and a gelato for dessert? No problem. The kids want hot dogs, dad wants bar-b-que, and mom is looking for seafood? No problem. The menu and phone numbers are on the tables. You simply call and place your order and waiters will bring it to your table.

Sunnyvale is fortunate to have the perfect mix of elements to make something like this possible: 1) there is a one-block street with a dense concentration of restaurants, 2) the street can be closed without interfering with normal commerce and traffic, 3) there is good cell phone signal and wifi, and 4) there is an established business group that has the organization and desire to give customers a unique dining experience. The perfect Sunnyvale climate makes it that much nicer.

Of course, the key element in all this is that the jazz is terrific. Popular jazz musicians – known names from throughout the Bay Area – are booked for each week, and they perform while you eat and enjoy the downtown Sunnyvale experience.

Great food. Great Music. Altogether, a Great Time“This is our way of saying thank you to the community, to our customers,” Joel explains. “It’s a wonderful way to spend a Saturday evening. A lot of fun and great music.”

Sponsored by Broadcom and produced by the Sunnyvale Downtown Association, Jazz & Beyond is fun, interesting, and perfect for families, dates, groups of friends, or even a special night out for mom and dad.

There is ample free parking at Macy’s, CalTrain and at Plaza del Sol. Beer and wine are available, as are the normal restaurant/bars along the street. Admission is free, and if you want to bring a stadium chair and enjoy the music without buying dinner, that’s fine too.

Check out this season’s 2016 entertainment lineup on the Sunnyvale Downtown Association website and Facebook page.

Jazz & Beyond is a great gift for our community and an experience as unique as Sunnyvale itself.

Sunnyvale Summer Music Series + Market Great live music. Awesome food. Outdoor dance floor. Amazing company! The Sunnyvale Summer Series Music + Market is back and ready for another terrific season!

Since 1998, this weekly summer fest has become a community tradition. Families, new residents, and nearby workers all know that this is the place to be every Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 8:30, through August 31.

Bands, Beer, Wine, Food, Friends and FunCheck out the 2016 line-up of bands on the Downtown Sunnyvale website. Thanks to community sponsors, you can enjoy beer/wine, and many vendors, in addition to great music. The event is organized by the Sunnyvale’s Downtown Association.

According to Joe Antuzzi, the event is like a yearly reunion of friends. Lots of new people come, of course, but local residents and former Sunnyvale residents love to attend to catch up. Everywhere you go you see bear hugs as friends reunite and hear a lot of greetings like, “Hey! How's it going, long time no see!” As well as work groups and whole families enjoying summer nights.

It Takes a VillageOwner of il Postale, a founder (and current Chairman of the Board) of the Sunnyvale Downtown Association, Joe has been among the core group of business owners who make the event come about. “The City of Sunnyvale along with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Specialty Waste, Coors Light and @WalmartLabs, sponsor the event and it is the downtown business owners that donate thousands of hours to make this great event happen.”

“We were among the first of the northern California cities to do a weekly summer music series,” says Joe, comparing the event to a great outdoor dining and dancing venue.

It’s EasyBring a lounge chair if you like and children of all ages are welcome but please leave your four-legged ones at home (service and therapy dogs are of course welcome). Outside beverages are not allowed so take advantage of the local options. Beer and wine are available for $5 (chardonnay, white zinfandel, and cabernet all from The California Winery).

​Spring has arrived early in Downtown Sunnyvale. If you have not visited here in a while, you will notice that as spring flowers and blooming trees have begun to appear in our neighborhood, new businesses have appeared along our streets. Now is a great time to get outside again and enjoy the warmer days and glorious colors. You will find as you amble along our storefronts, there are new places where you can find a fun spring outfit. If springtime has elevated your desire to really get moving, you can find new venues for working out.​After all that exploring whether on foot or on a stationary bike, you don’t have to go very far to take in a great meal, enjoy a coffee or imbibe a hearty beverage. The more pleasant temperature and longer days make it easier to linger here, and it won’t be difficult to coax your friends away from the office or off the couch. There is a lot going on in Downtown Sunnyvale that you can share with someone special and tell everyone you know what you were the first to discover.

Valentine’s Day ranks as the fourth most popular US holiday in terms of consumer participation. The December holidays, back-to-school and Mother’s Day may be bigger events, but Valentine’s Day is perhaps the most fun, and it arrives in time to help us all get through perhaps the dullest, coldest, dreariest time of year. February is the shortest month, for good reason.

Getting ready for this holiday can be almost as hectic as with the winter holidays. Downtown Sunnyvale makes it easy for you to prepare at a variety of wine shops, jewelry stores and even a chocolatier.

On the big day, you will find plenty of dining choices among restaurants, lounges, wine bars and night clubs. Take in a meal at one of your old favorites or try-out one of many new, trendy spots. Many restaurants in Downtown Sunnyvale will be open early for Valentine’s Day, but last minute decisions before heading to your romantic hideaway may lead to disappointment. Plan ahead, make reservations early and make your evening a memorable experience.​Even if you enjoy Valentine’s Day as a day to just pamper yourself, you can get a mani-pedi at a nail salon, enjoy a foot massage at a day spa, get a new look at a hair studio or you treat yourself to a new outfit at a boutique. There are many options choices within walking distance in Downtown Sunnyvale.